Handling Your Bills: What Scripture Has to Say About Money

Some days I live like God doesn't exist when it comes to my finances.

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Other days I remember I am a steward of the finances God has blessed us with.

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Every day God has apportioned my lot allowing me to rest in His goodness.

This month we are switching topics to another subject I love - *cue huge nerd alert here* - finances! Specifically, seeking to live within one's income in a God-honoring way.

If you missed last month's posts you can read them here: discussing how to grow in knowing God. I have a few more posts to add to that series so there will be more down the road, but for now we are going to talk about money.

Quick shout out to my husband, Geoffrey, for the 'punny' series title!  I'm hoping at least a couple of my readers appreciated it ;)

Before beginning, I want to make it clear that I do NOT have this all figured out. While I'm going to share Scriptures that Geoffrey and I seek to live our lives by, I do this very imperfectly. My heart is quick to covet what others have and to be anxious that God's provision won't be there tomorrow.

The couple posts following this one will be focused on the "how-to's" of budgeting. My goal is for the practical outworking of my life to be informed by God's Word. Hence, this post being first. So without further ado, here are seven principles I find helpful to consider:

1. I am to wisely use the money God has given me and will be held accountable for what I do with it.
In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus shares the parable of the talents. If you haven't read it before, please read it now, even if it means not finishing reading this post :) The finances God has given us are from him and are to be used for him. This truth informs why Geoffrey and I take the time to create a budget and occasionally revisit it.

2. God delights in his children giving cheerfully.

"The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 

I wish I could say I always give cheerfully. I don't. Whenever I don't want to give it's time for me to slow down, examine why, and repent of what I'm loving more than the Lord. It's also time for me to give thanks that my standing before God is based on Christ's generosity, not mine.

3. Scripture warns against debt.

"The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender." Proverbs 22:7

I want to tread carefully here because the Bible does not say that debt is sin. But it does warn against it and say that we are to pay back what we owe.

"The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives;" Psalm 37:21

For Geoffrey and I, this informs our use of our credit cards. If we are ever unable to pay the entire balance off at the end of each month we will no longer use them. This is not what it has to mean for you. My prayer is that this post encourages you to study and then live in light of what God's Word says about money.

4. My bank account and credit card statements reveal where my heart is. Additionally, how I spend my money causes my affections to grow for those things.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21 

Did you catch that last sentence? If you want to grow in loving the things that God loves, start with your money. A simple example of this is that God loves his church and as a result giving to our church is a nonnegotiable.

5. It is wise to get the counsel of other believers.

"Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed." Proverbs 15:22

The number of resources on budgeting, saving, and investing overwhelm me. To make things simpler we've asked for input from people that we respect. The specifics have varied between the people we've talked to. But the overarching themes of living within one's income and giving generously have consistently been the same.

6. Even my best made financial plans can go awry. Yet God is never surprised when they do.

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand." Proverbs 19:21

There have been times when Geoffrey and I discuss how to be wise with our finances. We are unified about our goals, we've made a plan, we are excited to implement it, and then the car breaks down. It's then that I need to remind myself that God is not wondering what happened and what to do next. His perfect plan always prevails.

7. My hope and trust are to be in God, not my finances.  

"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" Hebrews 13:5–6

"Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf." Proverbs 11:28

It's easy for my peace to be tied to how much money we have in the bank. I'm fairly certain that this is why God allows unexpected expenses to come up :)  If you are anxious about your finances, take time to consider God's faithfulness to his people in Scripture and in your own life. While this isn't my default, the times I have done this God kindly reorients my heart to delight and trust in him.

Closing Thoughts
There are a ton of resources out there that expand way beyond what I've written here. Randy Alcorn has written a lot about managing one's finances in light of eternity. His article, Scriptural Principles for Giving is an excellent summary of his short book, The Treasure Principle.  If you want a meatier book, my favorite is Money, Possessions, and Eternity. Next week we will be diving into the practical "how-to's" of setting up a budget.

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* Photo by Madison Kaminski on Unsplash.